Spray device for oil treatment of coal



sfipt. 18, 1956 c, BERRY SPRAY DEVICE FOR OIL TREATMENT OF COAL Filed Oct. 5, 1954 INVENTOR.

SPRAY DlEViClE FOR UK TREATMENT OF COAL Charles Ed Berry, Fairmont, W. Va.

Application October 5, 1954, Serial No. 460,397

2 Claims. (Cl. 299--66) My invention relates to improvements in method of oil treating mined coal, for dust control, wherein a minute film of oil is applied to the surface of the coal to act as a dust pallative. The object of my invention is to better enable the depositing of a fihn of oil on all of the mined coal, and to prevent the loss of oil which is carried away by air currents when it is atomized.

These objects are obtained by the mechanism illustrated on the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating the apparatus of the present invention in position for use upon a mass of mined coal.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, with parts in section, of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 20 indicates a railroad car which is mounted below and in cooperative relation with a chute 21 for receiving a flowing mass of mined coal indicated by the letter A, with the apparatus forming a part of this invention and indicated generally by the numeral 25 in position for applying the treating agent to the coal mass.

The apparatus 25 forming a part of the present invention, Figures 2 to 4, comprises a base or tubular main frame 1 to which a cylinder 2, is attached by means of the collar and pin hinge 3. This cylinder contains a piston i, which drives a piston rod 5. This piston rod is hinged to an upstanding swinging arm 6, so that when the piston rod moves back and forth, the arm 6, will be caused to oscillate. The swinging arm 6, is supported by an upstanding bracket attached to the frame 1 for swinging movement about a horizontal axis. This bracket is shown by the numeral '7. The piston 4 is caused to oscillate by means of a valve 8. The ports in the valve are caused to rotate from one position to another by the lever arm 9, and the coil spring 10, which is attached to the piston rod 5. By means of this mechanism, when hydraulic fluid pushes the piston rod to a position where the center line of the spring is beyond the center of the pivot pin of the arm 9, the spring will snap the lever to its opposite position, changing or reversing the ports of the valve, and thereby reversing the flow of fluid thru the cylinder, and reversing the direction of the piston rod, and the swinging arm 6.

On the swinging arm 6 is mounted a means for spraying a fluid indicated by the numeral 30 and having a spray emitting outlet 31. As shown in Figure 2, this means is positioned so that the outlet 31 is vertically disposed with respect to the base 1. Since the arm 6 is swingingly mounted on the bracket 7 carried by the base 1, as above pointed out, and the fluid spraying means 30 is car- 5 .position. Also, the piston rod 5 carried by the piston 4 head 11 having a mixing chamber 11a.

.a conveyor, a car, or other devices.

working within the cylinder 2 which rod is connected to the arm 6, constitutes a means operatively connected to the spraying means for efiecting the swinging movements of the latter. The spraying means 30 embodies a mixing The mixing chamber 11a has an inlet 11b for the admission of water under pressure, and to the inlet 11b is attached a rubber hose 12, which has its other end connected to the exhaust port of the valve 8. Thru this means, when the hydraulic fluid, water or other wetting agent, has passed thru the cylinder, and is being exhausted, it will be directed thru the hose 12, and thence thru the spray nozzle lower compartment and cause it to be sprayed on the.

coal when the nozzle is directed at the coal on a screen,

The mixing chamber 11a also has another inlet to which is attached another hose 13 which feeds oil, spray oil, under comparative higher pressure, into the stream of water which is flowing thru the lower compartment. At 14, is shown a removable spray nozzle, which is attached to the spray emitting outlet 31 and which thru means of various size, and shape orifices, will deliver a desired quantity and pattern of spray. At 15, is shown another hose for feeding Water to the valve 8. The mixing chamber 11a has a valve means for controlling the admission of oil to the chamber, such valve means including a needle valve 35 which is mounted in the head 11 for up and down movement relative to a valve seat 36 formed in the chamber 11a. Movement of the needle valve 35 relative to the seat 36 is effected by means of a knurled nut 37 carried by the valve 35.

In the ordinary spraying of oil on coal, a very small quantity of oil is used to attempt to cover a very large area of coal. When this small quantity of oil is atomized and sprayed on the coal, it is found impossible to spread it over all of the coal and also large quantities of oil are lost in wind losses. To better cover the desired area of coal, with a small quantity of oil, some carrying agent is desired. This mechanism provides that carrying medium. The oil enters the stream of water, under high pressure, and a violent mixing action takes place. The stream of water carrying thoroughly mixed oil, leaves the chamber in a stream of water, and is directed to and on, and back and forth over the coal, thoroughly wetting and oiling each and every piece of coal. The oil and water of course separate immediately, and the oil by its very nature clings to the coal, while the water flows freely off, and is drained therefrom.

Heretofore, spray nozzles have been fixed. in one position over the coal, in a conveyor, a car, or other devices, and either large spreading atomizing nozzles, or numerous nozzles have been required to attempt to cover all the coal. This mechanism eliminates the need of but one nozzle, and enables the one nozzle to cover all of the coal. The same water pressure used to move the nozzle b ack and forth, is also used as a carrying medium for the spray oil.

I claim as new:

1. Apparatus for treating mined coal comprising a base adapted to be mounted at an overhead point over a bed of mined coal to be treated, an upstanding bracket carried by said base, an upstanding arm positioned in spaced relation with respect to said bracket and having the upper end connected to said bracket for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a mixing head dependingly carried by the lower end of said arm, said head having a mixing chamber, an inlet for the admission of Water under pressure thereto, another inlet to said chamber for the admission of oil to said chamber, a valve means in said chamber for controlling the admission of oil to said chamber, a spray emitting outlet positioned so that the outlet is vertically disposed with respect to said base, and a reciprocating piston rod positioned above and in horizontal spaced relation with respect to said base and having one end connected to said arm for movement therewith intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof for effecting the swinging movements of said arm.

2. Apparatus for treating mined coal comprising a base adapted to be mounted at an overhead point over a bed of mined coal to be treated, an upstanding bracket carried by said base, an upstanding arm positioned in spaced relation with respect to said bracket and having the upper end connected to said bracket for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a mixing head dependingly carried by the lower end of said arm, said head having a mixing chamber, an inlet for the admission of water under pressure thereto, another inlet to said chamber for the admission of oil to said chamber, a valve means in said chamber for controlling the admission of oil to said chamber, and a spray emitting outlet positioned so that the outlet is vertically disposed with re-' spect to said base, a closed cylinder positioned above and in horizontal spaced relation with respect to said base and spaced from said bracket, a reciprocating piston working within said cylinder, and a piston rod having one end connected to said arm for movement therewith intermediate the upper and lower ends of said arm and having the other end connected to said piston for movement with the latter for effecting the swinging movement of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 995,261 Kruskopf June 13, 1911 995,900 Plecher et al June 20, 191.1 1,198,036 Jackson Sept. 1.2, 1916 1,493,584 Wills May 13, 1924 1,751,641 Lindhorst Mar. 25, 1930 1,755,455 Nelson Apr. 22, 1930 2,222,370 Mori Nov. 19, 1940 2,591,188 Nilsson Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,351 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1935 686,164 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Report of Investigations, Bureau of Mines, R. I. 3843. (Copy available in Div. 47.) 

